Gateway North
Latin: Melanitta nigra (Linné 1758)
Svenska: Sjöorre
Deutsch: Trauerente
Flocks of common scoters fly along the coast. These flocks are normally formed into a central clump with some birds right at the front and some in a trailing tail at the back. Some might say it looks like a dragon!
The common scoter builds its nest near lakes up in the mountains. The closest such place is in Dalarna, though flocks of scoters rest in Uppland each year. Kjell Kolthoff, who painted many of the murals in Biotopia, wrote in the 1930's that 'small flocks can be seen in the Mälaren area up until the 12th of May.' Even today, we can often see common scoters in Ekoln in early May!
These birds migrate to the coasts of western Europe from September to November. In the spring, they pass by Uppland in mid-April and early June.
Photo: Mikael Nord©
Latest sightings of common scoters in Uppland
Wikipedia article on the common scoter